Urlaubsmaschine Prora - Das Nazi-Seebad Auf Rügen | Doku

Prora is a district of the municipality of Binz on the island of Rügen. It lies directly on the Baltic coast in the center of the Prorer Wiek bay and originated from the KdF (Strength Through Joy) seaside resort of Rügen, which was built between 1936 and 1939 but remained unfinished. The complex was intended to accommodate 20,000 vacationers simultaneously through the KdF organization. Construction was halted in 1939 after the outbreak of World War II. Around 1950, the expansion and conversion of large parts of the now-unfinished Prora complex began, transforming it into the most monumental barracks complex in East Germany. Prora became a restricted military zone. The "Colossus of Prora" is the core of the complex and originally consisted of eight identical blocks stretching 4.5 kilometers along the Prorer Wiek bay. Three blocks were almost completely destroyed between 1945 and 1949, with only a few segments remaining. Five blocks remained, stretching for approximately 2.5 kilometers, which were successively used for military purposes by the Soviet Union, East Germany, and unified Germany after 1945. Following the withdrawal of the German Federal Armed Forces (Bundeswehr), the buildings stood largely empty and fell into disrepair. Since 2004, the blocks have been sold individually and converted into residential and hotel complexes.